The DuPont contribution, consisting of more than 200,000 lines of expressed sequence tags (ESTs), portions of a gene which can be used to locate an entire gene, more than doubles the amount of wheat genome information currently available to researchers through GenBank, a public database of DNA information held by the National Institutes of Health.

An important piece in overall crop science research, DuPont's contribution will considerably increase the amount of wheat genetic information widely available to scientists across the globe. A greater knowledge about the wheat genome will help advance the research of all cereal crops that feed a bulk of the people in the developing world.

"Making this data available to the public is consistent with the long tradition of DuPont of advancing science and crop genetics research worldwide," said Jim Miller, vice president, DuPont Crop Genetics Research & Development. "We are confident this data will strengthen the collaborative efforts among crop scientists and lead to the development of new and improved wheat varieties."

According to Miller, sharing this data with researchers worldwide will enhance the overall understanding of one of agriculture's most complex genomes.

"The wheat genome is significantly larger and more complex than most crops," said Miller. "Making this data available, without restrictions, will bolster many ongoing research efforts and provide a foundation for the development of advanced varieties that benefit growers, breeders and consumers."

DuPont and its subsidiary, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., will continue to aggressively research and develop improved wheat vari
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Contact: Doyle Karr
doyle.karr@pioneer.com
515-270-3428
DuPont
10-Dec-2002